Coupé-coupé

Ingredients

Meat

• 1.5 kgbeef, in large flat pieces
• or 1.5 kg goat or mutton
• 2 teaspoonssalt
• 3 tablespoonsoil

Marinade

• 1onion, grated
• 6garlic cloves, crushed
• 3cm ginger, grated
• 2stock cubes, crushed
• 2 teaspoonspaprika
• 1 teaspoonblack pepper
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoonmustard, optional

To serve

• fresh baguettes
• 2onions, thinly sliced
• 2tomatoes, sliced
• piri piri sauce
• mayonnaise, optional
• lemon wedges

Directions

1. Cut it into large flat pieces. Small pieces dry out on the fire. Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Rub it thoroughly into the meat. Work it into every single surface.
2. Cover it and refrigerate it now. Give it at least four full hours. Wait until the coals are covered in grey ash. Spread the coals into an uneven bed. Leave one area cooler than the rest. Oil the grill bars before the meat goes on. Grilling it is slow and needs turning.
3. Lay the pieces over the hotter coals first. Sear them for about four minutes a side. Let them cook slowly for thirty minutes. Turn them every five minutes or so. Baste them with the leftover marinade. Judging when it is done takes a knife.
4. Cut into the thickest piece to check. Goat and mutton should be cooked right through. Take the meat off and let it rest. Give it about five full minutes. Set the meat on a heavy board. Chop it into small pieces with a heavy knife.
5. Chop across the grain wherever you can. Chop it just before serving, not in advance. Warm them briefly at the edge of the grill. Slice the onions as thinly as you can.
6. Rinse them in cold water and squeeze them dry. That takes the harsh raw edge off them. Slice the tomatoes fairly thinly. Assembling it is done to order.
7. Pack the chopped meat into the split baguette. Pile sliced onion over the meat. Add sliced tomato alongside it. Spoon piri piri sauce over generously. Add mayonnaise if you want it. Squeeze lemon over the whole thing. Serving it is done hot in the hand.

Technique

• A coupe-coupe is a machete in local French, and the name describes the way grilled meat is hacked into portions on a block at the stall.
• Nothing is portioned in advance: the customer points, the seller cuts, and it is chopped and filled to order.

Substitutions

• Goat, mutton or chicken all work in place of beef.
• Any crusty bread stands in for a baguette.

Variations

• Some stalls serve it on a plate with fried plantain rather than in bread.
• A version dusted with peanut spice powder is sold in some places.
• Similar roadside grilled meat is sold across Central and West Africa.

History

Named for the machete used to hack grilled meat into portions at roadside stalls, a term shared across Gabon and the Congos.

Frequently asked questions

What is Coupé-coupé?

Coupé-coupé is a street food from Gabon: roadside chopped grilled meat, often stuffed into baguette. Named for the machete used to hack grilled meat into portions at roadside stalls, a term shared across Gabon and the Congos.

How long does Coupé-coupé take to make?

Coupé-coupé takes 30 minutes plus marinating of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Coupé-coupé?

Yes, within limits. Goat, mutton or chicken all work in place of beef. Any crusty bread stands in for a baguette.

What is the most important thing to get right in Coupé-coupé?

Pack the chopped meat into the split baguette. Pile sliced onion over the meat. Add sliced tomato alongside it. Spoon piri piri sauce over generously. Add mayonnaise if you want it. Squeeze lemon over the whole thing. Serving it is done hot in the hand.